All accolades and records aside, though, Strong's impact on his players and students (he was a math teacher at Masuk until 2004) was "beyond immeasurable," according to Masuk athletic director John DeGennaro.

"The championships were all very memorable," Strong said. "But another thing that really sticks out is having former players come up to you and tell you how much the experience of playing basketball has meant to them. And some of these people are 50 years old -- and they still value that experience."